There has been a great deal of uncertainty in the labor markets. If you have a Bachelor’s and are struggling to find employment, getting your teaching certification can do a great deal to improve your ability to find steady work.
For those with small children, getting your teaching certification can greatly improve your ability to care for your children over the summer and holiday breaks.
Build On Your Core Learning
Once you have a Bachelor’s Degree, getting your alternative online certification can get you in the classroom in just 12 months. You can take this training online and build skills in
- teaching and communication methodology
- classroom management
- confidence in controlling a classroom
Once you have this training in place, you will need to undergo clinical training. Depending on your clinical placement, maintaining another job may be particularly challenging. However, once you complete this in-person training, you will be in a good place to get your teaching certification in many regions of the United States and even in other nations.
Prepare for Additional Testing
If you don’t yet have your Bachelor’s and plan to get it as well as your teaching certification, it’s a good idea to carefully consider what grades you want to teach. As a general rule, those who want to teach kindergarten through 5th grade get a degree in elementary education, while those who want to teach middle and high school get a degree in their chosen field and additional training to fulfill their education requirements.
Once you choose from the wide array of online teaching certification programs like the ones offered on EducationDegree.com, it’s a good idea to review the region of the states where you currently live or where you would like to move to study up on the state requirements for your certification.
Depending on the state you plan to teach in, you may need to take the Praxis tests to get your certification. These tests cover
- Core Academic Skills for Educators
- Subject Assessments
- Content Knowledge for Teaching Assessments
You should be prepared to pay up to $300 for your certification tests. Once you have passed the Praxis testing, you can apply for your teacher certification in all states but
- Michigan
- Massachusetts
- Florida
- Arizona
- Illinois
These states will have their own certification requirements. No matter what certification tests you take, you will need to pay for your certification applications; expect to pay no more than $200 to make these applications.
If you’re already teaching, you can also use additional online training to earn your Master’s degree in education. Depending on the state where you teach, there may be a reimbursable portion to cover your Master’s tuition.
Education is always a good investment. Even if you don’t plan to teach long-term, this is a career that makes life much easier for parents, especially when your children are young. If you own your own business, a teaching career can also give you blocks of time to work on your business.
